'Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke's post for AAP's Manish Sisodia before leaving for studies in US emerges: 'No distance will weaken my commitment...'

Cockroach Janta Party or CJP, founded by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) social worker Abhijeet Dipke, is the newest political startup in India, a satirical online movement, and was founded by May 16. Dipke is a 30-year-old public relations student at Boston University and a former AAP social media volunteer from 2020 to 2023. A post of Abhijeet Dipke before he left for Boston, is now going viral on social media in which he thanked former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for the opportunities. "Thank you for everything, @msisodia sir. I am truly grateful for all the opportunities you provided me while working with you. Leaving for Boston with your guidance as my compass. No distance will ever weaken my commitment to AAP," the post's caption read. The picture shows him and Manish Sisodia sharing a side hug with hashtag #TeamManishSisodiaforver



Another old post read, "I would like to express my gratitude to @msisodia sir. His trust and the opportunities he gave me have brought me this far. Wish I could tell him this personally & take his blessings. I would also like to thank @AtishiAAP ma'am for all the support and guidance. And of course, this wouldn't have been possible without having friends like you and Pulkit." (sic)



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How is Abhijeet Dipke linked to AAP?

Abhijeet Dipke had previously volunteered with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party from 2020 to 2023. Currently, he is in the United States, completing his Master’s degree in public relations at Boston University. A political communication strategist, Dipke's work centres on narrative building, public messaging, and the influence of digital platforms on political opinion. He is a native of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.

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He completed his bachelor's degree in journalism in Pune before moving to the US for further studies. During the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, which were won by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, he worked on meme-driven digital campaigns aimed at boosting online outreach and youth engagement and in 2026, he launched the Cockroach Janta Party. Several handles on X allege that the CJP is a plant by the Aam Aadmi Party. Dismissing all such claims, Dipke said that his post was only sarcasm.

How was the CJP founded?

Abhijeet Dipke said he came across Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s remarks while celebrating his graduation in Boston. “There are already parasites of society who attack the system and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in the profession,” Kant had said while referring to sections of the media, RTI activists, and other activists. He later clarified that his remarks were misquoted and were taken out of context.

“What began as satire is now turning into something much bigger. People are messaging us saying they have lost hope in both the government and the Opposition,” Dipke said. Several political figures have also reacted online with TMC leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad posted on X saying they wanted to be part of the CJP, while lawyer Prashant Bhushan also expressed support for the party.

Sisodia backs CJP

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia has publicly backed the 'Cockroach Janata Party' (CJP). In an Instagram reel posted on May 20, Sisodia declared, "If there is a war between a crocodile and cockroaches, I will proudly stand with the Cockroach Janata Party."

Featuring a mock five-point manifesto focused on unemployment, education, healthcare, and government accountability, the movement quickly resonated with the youth. Within days, the CJP's Instagram account amassed over 6.6 million followers, with thousands registering online. On Thursday, CJP surpassed BJP on Instagram with more than 10 million followers.

(With TOI inputs)